University  Library 
University  of  California  •  Berkley 


DISCOURSE 


THREE 
DEQREES 

of 

QLORy 


MELDin  J.  BALLARD 

Oqden  Tabernacle 

Sept.  22,   1922 


Price  I5c  Copy 


Published  under  the  direction 

of 

Illount  Ogden  Stake 
Qenealogical  Committee 

C.    FRED  SCHADE,  STAKE  REPRESENTATIVE 

IRA  J.    MCKELL 

HENRY  VOLKER 

ELNORA    R.  WINTLE 

BERTHA  J.    HELLEWELL 

CLARENCE  EKLUND,  SECRETARY 

EVA   EKLUND 

LAWRENCE   HANSEN 

J.    F.   SNEDAKER 

CHAS.  T.  JONES 

ALFRED  STEVENSON 


I  o  o  on 

T3^ 

THE  THREE  DEGREES  OF 
GLORY 

By 

Melvin  J.  Ballard 


This  is  an  inspiring  sight,  my  dear  breth- 
ren and  sisters,  a  convincing  testimony  of 
your  interest  in  this  great  and  important 
feature  of  the  latter-day  work,  Genealogy, 
the  salvation  for  the  living  and  the  dead,  for 
I  have  remarked  before  that  in  no  quarter 
of  the  Church  is  there  greater  interest  and 
activity  shown  in  this  particular  work  than 
here  in  these  Ogden  Stakes.  I  commend  you 
for  what  you  have  accomplished,  and,  as  I 
said  in  another  place  in  this  city  a  few 
months  ago,  surely  there  is  nothing  that  will 
so  quickly  bring  you  a  house  of  God,  a  tem- 
ple of  the  Lord,  in  your  community  as  your 
intense  activity  in  this  particular  work. 

I  rejoice  with  you  to  live  in  this  wonderful 
day,  the  most  glorious  and  splendid  that  has 
ever  dawned  in  the  history  of  man.  I  am  ex- 
ceedingly happy  to  be  here  tonight  in  your 
presence  to  rejoice  with  you  on  this  ninety- 
ninth  anniversary  of  the  appearance  of  the 


Angel  Moroni  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith, 
for  it  was  just  ninety-nine  years  ago  tonight 
•that  Moroni  spent  the  entire  night  unfolding 
to  the  Prophet  the  greatness  of  this  latter- 
day  dispensation  and  explaining  to  him  for 
the  first  time,  in  this  dispensation  at  least, 
the  meaning  of  the  promise  that  Elijah,  the 
Prophet,  should  come  again  to  turn  the 
hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  children  and  the 
children  to  the  fathers  lest  the  whole  earth 
should  be  smitten  with  a  curse.  I  know  of 
no  more  fitting  way  to  celebrate  that  won- 
derful event  in  this  dispensation  than  to  be 
here  and  discussing  this  subject.  I  rejoice 
because  to  us  has  been  given  the  most  splen- 
did revelations  God  has  ever  given  to  man, 
and  this  is  not  discrediting  anything  of  the 
past.  It  is  full  of  glory,  full  of  inspiration 
and  grandeur,  full  of  majesty  and  of  truth! 

The  greatest  revelation  the  Lord,  Jesus 
Christ,  has  ever  given  to  man  in  the  history 
of  His  Church,  so  far  as  record  is  made,  was 
given  to  the  Propset  Joseph  Smith  on  the 
16th  of  April,  1832,  known  as  the  76th  sec- 
tion of  the  book  of  Doctrine  &  Covenants, 
commonly  called  for  years  and  still  known  as 
"The  Vision."  I  say,  this  to  my  mind  is  the 
climax  of  all  wonderful  revelations  that  have 
come  from  the  Lord  from  the  days  of  Father 
Adam  until  the  present  moment. 

Men  have  been  groping  in  darkness  on 
some  subjects,  even  in  Gospel  dispensations 
of  the  past.  They  have  not  known  the  full- 
ness of  God's  plan  and  purpose  for  the  salva- 


tion  of  His  sons  and  daughters,  but  surely 
this  is  a  glorious  time,  for  this  is  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  fullness  of  times  and  all  that 
men  have  ever  had  in  all  former  dispensa- 
tions has  been  given  at  once  in  this  dispensa- 
tion, and  much  that  was  not  had  in  other  dis- 
pensations. Oh !  how  wonderful  it  is  to  live 
now,  when  we  are  not  in  doubt  concerning 
not  only  ourselves,  but  the  whole  scheme  and 
plan  of  salvation,  not  only  for  the  living,  but 
for  the  dead. 

Men  have  been  speculating  as  to  God's  jus- 
tice and  provisions  for1  the  salvation  of  His 
children.  There  have  been  those  in  the  past 
and  some  still  remain  who  teach  that  if  by 
the  smallest  margin  one  escapes  or  misses  to 
meet  the  conditions  of  the  Gospel  as  they  in- 
terpret it  they  lose  eternal  salvation  and  are 
eternally  damned  to  hell;  and  on  the  other 
hand,  there  are  those  who  believe  that  cer- 
tain individuals  are  marked  and  designated, 
predestined,  to  come  into  this  life  to  be  saved 
no  matter  what  they  did,  and  others  to  be 
eternally  lost.  There  are  those  who  are  so 
narrow  as  to  believe  that  if  in  this  life  men 
have  not  found  the  Way,  the  Light  and 
Truth  there  is  no  hope  for  them  beyond  the 
grave.  I  rejoice  to  live,  I  say,  when  the  full- 
ness of  truth  has  been  given  and  when  the 
answer  has  been  made  clearly  and  definitely 
in  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  all  queries  on 
this  subject. 

I  have  sometimes  had  this  question  pro- 
pounded to  me  by  ministers  and  members 


of  other  denominations:  "What  matters  it 
so  long  as  men  and  women  are  good  men, 
good  husbands,  good  wives,  good  citizens,  be- 
lievers in  the  Bible,  worshippers  of  God  and 
followers  of  Jesus  Christ  according  to  their 
own  conception — what  matters  which  road 
they  take?''  It  is  immaterial  whether  they 
are  Baptist,  Presbyterian,  Mormon,  Catholic, 
or  what.  Any  road  leads  to  the  same  goal, 
just  as  there  are  many  roads  leading  to  Og- 
den,  and  whichever  road  you  take  you  ulti- 
mately get  to  Ogden.  That  is  their  theory. 

I  have  said  that  it  makes  little  difference 
in  one  respect  whether  a  man  has  a  faith 
and  persuasion  or  not,  or  what  his  faith 
or  persuasion  may  be.  It  is  not  this  persua- 
soin  that  will  bring  him  salvation;  it  is  his 
works,  his  faith  and  his  devotion  and  his 
ability  to  comply  with  the  terms  and  condi- 
tions God  has  provided  for  man's  salvation, 
but  every  man  that  does  good  is  drawing  to- 
ward God  no  matter  what  his  faith  is.  That 
is  true,  therefore,  whichever  road  he  travels, 
according  to  the  amount  of  good  he  does,  he 
is  advancing  toward  the  great  goal,  toward 
God  and  toward  salvation  in  His  kingdom. 

I  recognize  the  fact  that  no  man  will  get 
ail  the  way  to  the  end  of  the  road  and  gain 
a  fullness  of  salvation  in  the  Celestial  King- 
dom of  God  unless  he  complies  with  all  the 
terms  and  all  the  conditions  of  salvation  in 
the  Celestial  Kingdom  of  God  unless  he  said, 
"Straight  is  the  gate  and  narrow  is  the  way 


which  leadeth   unto  life,  and  few  there  be 
that  find  it." 

I  discover  in  my  reading  of  ancient  and 
modern  scriptures  that  the  great  majority 
of  our  Father's  children  will  only  go  a  part 
of  the  way  toward  that  great  goal  and  end 
because  they  will  not  comply  with  all 
the  terms  and  conditions.  They  will  get  one- 
third  of  the  way,  we  will  say,  and  find 
themselves  in  the  Telestial  Kingdom.  An- 
other group  will  go  a  little  farther  on  the 
right  road  but  they  won't  comply  with  all 
the  terms  and  conditions  and  will  not  reach 
the  end  of  that  journey.  They  may  go,  per- 
haps, two-thirds  of  the  way  to  the  Terrestrial 
Glory.  And  few  there  be  who  will  comply 
and  find  the  way  by  which  they  may  make 
the  entire  journey,  complying  with  all  the 
terms,  all  the  conditions  and  ultimately 
reaching  the  end  of  the  road,  entering  into 
the  Celestial  Kingdom  of  God;  they  shall 
obtain  Celestial  Glory. 

That  sounds  reasonable,  does  it  not?  It  is 
true.  Now  without  speculating,  and  I  do 
not  wish  to  speculate  or  theorize,  but  confin- 
ing ourselves  in  our  discussion  or  considera- 
tion of  this  question  exclusively  to  the  word 
of  the  Lord  as  it  has  been  given  us,  I  will 
begin  by  reading  a  portion  of  the  76th  sec- 
tion, commencing  with  the  50th  verse: 

"And  again,  we  bear  record,  for  we  saw 
and  heard,  and  this  is  the  testimony  of  the 


gospel  of  Christ,  concerning  them  who  come 
forth  in  the  resurrection  of  the  just/' 

I  begin  with  the  few  that  find  the  way  and 
reach  the  end.  I  begin  with  those  because 
I  think  I  am  talking  to  a  body  of  men  and 
women  who  are  not  concerned  and  anxious  to 
know  terms  or  conditions  by  which  you  may 
get  into  the  Terrestrial  or  Telestial  Glory. 
Your  minds  and  hearts  are  set  upon  knowing 
what  you  must  do  to  obtain  the  greatest 
thing,  the  best  thing,  the  Lord  has  offered. 
I  want  to  talk  about  that  more  than  anything 
else  because  I  do  not  discover  many  of  you 
who  would  be  satisfied  with  second-hand 
things,  and  you  are  not  contented  or  happy 
by  having  second  best  or  third  best.  So  we 
will  begin  by  reading  a  description  of  the 
terms  and  conditions  that  we  must  comply 
with  to  get  the  best,  to  bring  before  you  as 
the  Lord  has  given  it  to  us  the  blessings, 
benefits  and  advantages  of  attaining  to  the 
Celestial  Glory.  I  think  it  will  be  worth 
every  sacrifice  required  and  a  hundred  times 
more  if  need  be.  Personally,  I  would  give  it 
to  attain  that  which  God  has  offered  to  men 
and  women  who  enter  into  the  Celestial 
Glory. 

Continuing  with  the  51st  verse: 
"They  are  they  who  received  the  testimony 
of  Jesus,  and  believed  on  his  name  and  were 
baptized  after  the  manner  of  his  burial,  being 
buried  in  the  water  in  his  name,  and  this 
according  to  the  commandment  which  he  has 
given.'' 

6 


I  now  say  to  all  the  world  that  no  man,  no 
woman,  ever  shall  see  the  Celestial  Kingdom 
of  God  who  is  not  baptized  of  the  water  and 
of  th©  spirit.  The  Lord  has  specified  it.  He 
made  it  so  binding  and  complete  when  after 
announcing  the  law  he  complied  with  every 
term  himself,  though  perfect,  so  that  no  man 
who  imagines  himself  to  be  perfect  her©  can 
excuse  himself  or  herself  from  obedience  to 
the  law  of  baptism.  It  is  the  door,  the  gate 
to  Celestial  Glory. 

"That  by  keeping  the  commandments  they 
might  be  washed  and  cleansed  from  all  their 
sins,  and  receive  the  Holy  Spirit  by  the  lay- 
ing on  of  the  hands  of  him  who  is  ordained 
and  sealed  unto  this  power. 

"And  who  overcome  by  faith,  and  are 
sealed  by  th©  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which 
the  Father  sheds  forth  -upon  all  those  who 
are  just  and  true.'' 

I  would  like  to  pause  and  emphasize  that 
passage,  because,  while  we  receive  at  th© 
hands  of  the  priesthood  which  has  the  right 
to  seal  on  earth  and  it  shall  be  sealed  in 
Heaven,  this  revelation  clearly  states  it  must 
be  sealed  by  the  holy  spirit  of  promise. 

A  man  and  woman  may  by  fraud  and  de- 
ception obtain  admittance  to  the  house  of  the 
Lord  and  may  receive  the  pronouncement  of 
the  holy  priesthood,  giving  to  them,  so  far  as 
lies  in  their  power,  these  blessings.  We  may 
deceive  men  but  we  cannot  deceive  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  cur  blessings  will  not  be  binding 

7 


upon  us  unless  they  are  also  sealed  by  the 
holy  spirit  of  promise,  the  Holy  Ghost,  one 
who  reads  the  thoughts  and  hearts  of  men 
and  gives  his  sealing  approval  to  the  bless- 
ings pronounced  upon  the  heads  of  men  and 
women.  Then  it  is  binding,  efficacious  and 
full  of  force. 

I  thank  the  Lord  that  there  is  this  provi- 
sion, so  that  even  though  men  are  able  to  de- 
ceive their  brethren,  they  are  not  able  to  de- 
ceive the  Holy  Ghost  and  thus  come  into  pos- 
session of  their  blessings  unless  they  prove 
in  word,  in  thought,  and  in  deed  their  worth- 
iness and  righteousness. 

Reading  again  from  the  53rd  verse: 

"And  who  overcome  by  faith,  and  are 
sealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which 
the  Father  sheds  forth  upon  all  those  who 
are  just  and  true. 

"They  are  they  who  are  the  church  of  the 
first  born. 

"They  are  they  into  whose  hands  the 
Father  has  given  all  things — " 

Is  there  anything  that  you  have  ever 
dreamed  of  or  thought  of,  that  you  wanted, 
that  you  longed  for  ?  Into  the  hands  of  those 
who  attain  this  glory  shall  all  things  be 
given. 

What  a  world  of  meaning!  You  can  pon- 
der over  that  all  the  rest  of  your  lives  and 
every  thought  and  aspiration  of  the  human 


heart  in  righteousness  that  is  possible  for 
men  to  conceive  will  be  but  a  fraction  of 
that  which  is  comprehended  in  this  state- 
ment, that  'unto  them  shall  be  given  all 
things,"  because  it  is  not  possible  for  mor- 
tals to  think  of -a  thousandth  part  of  what 
that  means. 

Reading  again: 

"They  are  they  who  are  Priests  and  Kings, 
who  have  received  of  his  fullness,  and  of  his 
glory. 

"And  are  Priests  of  the  Most  High,  after 
the  order  of  Melchisedek,  which  was  after 
the  order  of  Enoch,  which  was  after  the  or- 
der of  the  Only  Begotten  Son: 

"Wherefore,  as  it  is  writen,  they  are  Gods, 
even  the  sons  of  God — " 

We  have  frequently  said  that  perhaps  the 
grandest  thought  that  has  ever  been  brought 
forth  to  the  children  of  men  is  the  Mormon 
Truism,  namely:  "As  man  is  God  once  was, 
and  as  God  is  man  may  become."  The 
foundation  of  that  truism  is  in  this  revela- 
tion and  these  words  we  have  just  read.  Let 
me  read  them  again: 

"Wherefore,  as  it  is  written,  they  are  Gods,, 
even  the  sons  of  God — " 

Now,  I  would  like  to  say  a  word  or  two 
about  that  Mormon  Truism,  namely:  "As 
man  is  God  once  was,  and  as  God  is  man  may 
become. r 


Note  that  it  is  not  to  the  effect  that  man 
will  become,  but  man  may  become,  and  I  wish 
to  say  that  few  men  will  become  what  God  is. 
And  yet,  all  men  may  become  what  He  is  if 
they  will  pay  the  price. 

Now,  I  wish  to  say  to  you  that  the  only 
possible  candidates  to  become  what  God  is 
are  those  who  attain  Celestial  Glory,  and 
those  who  fail  in  that  will  never,  worlds 
without  end,  be  possible  candidates  to  be- 
come what  God  is.  Then  I  wish  to  say  to  you 
that  there  are  three  degrees  of  glory  in  the 
Celestial  Kingdom  and  only  those  who  at- 
tain the  highest  degree  of  Celestial  Glory  will 
be  candidates  to  become  what  God  is,  and 
graduate. 

So  you  see,  it  is  within  the  reach  of  every 
man  and  woman  who  lives,  but  only  attaina- 
ble by  those  who  pay  the  price,  who  stand 
the  test,  who  prove  themselves,  who  comply 
with  the  terms  and  conditions  that  make 
their  calling  and  election  sure. 

I  wish  now  just  a  moment  to  diverge  and 
turn  to  the  131st  section  of  the  book  of  Doc- 
trine &  Covenants.  It  is  very  brief  and  is 
upon  the  point  I  am  just  discussing.  It  is  a 
revelation  which  was  given  May  16th  and 
May  17th,  1843. 

'    "In  the  Celestial    glory    there    are    three 
heavens  or  degrees: 

"And  in  order  to  obtain  the  highest,  a  man 
must  enter  into  this  Order  of  the  Priesthood ; 
(meaning  the  new  and  everlasting  covenant 
of  marriage) ; 

10 


"And  if  he  does  not.  he  cannot  obtain  it. 

"He  may  enter  into  the  other,  but  that  is 
the  end  of  his  kingdom;  he  cannot  have  an 
increase/' 

Those  who  are  denied  endless  increase 
cannot  be  what  God  is,  because  that  is  what, 
in  connection  with  other  things,  makes  him 
God.  The  eternity  of  the  marriage  covenant 
ought  to  be  understood  by  Later-day  Saints 
clearly  to  be  the  sealing  of  at  least  one  wo- 
man to  one  man  for  time  and  for  all  eternity. 
Then  do  not  get  confused  on  that  point  and 
imagine  that  it  necessarily  means  more  than 
one  woman.  It  may  be,  certainly,  but  it 
does  mean  at  least  that  one  man  and  one  wo- 
man are  sealed  together  by  the  power  of 
the  holy  priesthood  and  by  the  sealing  ap- 
proval of  the  Holy  Ghost  for  time  and  for 
all  eternity,  and  then  that  they  keep  their 
covenants,  before  they  will  be  candidates  for 
the  highest  degree  of  Celestial  Glory,  and 
unto  them  only  of  all  these  groups  of  our 
Father's  children  is  the  promise  made  of 
endless  or  eternal  increase. 

What  do  we  mean  by  endless  or  eternal 
increase?  We  mean  that  through  the  right- 
eousness and  faithfulness  of  men  and  women 
all  those  who  keep  the  commandments  of 
God  will  come  forth  with  Celestial  bodies, 
fitted  and  prepared  to  enter  into  their  great, 
high  and  eternal  glory  in  the  Celestial 
Kingdom  of  God;  and  unto  them,  through 
their  preparation,  there  will  come  children, 
who  will  be  spirit  children.  I  don't  think 

11 


that  is  very  difficult  to  comprehend  and  un- 
derstand. The  nature  of  the  offspring  is  de- 
termined by  the  nature  of  the  substance  that 
flows  in  the  veins  of  the  being.  When  blood 
flows  in  the  veins  of  the  being,  the  offspring 
will  be  what  blood  produces,  which  is  tangi- 
ble flesh  and  bone,  but  when  that  which 
flows  in  the  veins  is  spirit  matter,  a 
substance  which  is  more  refined  and  pure 
and  glorious  than  blood,  the  offspring 
of  such  beings  will  be  spirit  children.  By 
that  I  mean  they  will  be  in  the  image  of  the 
parents.  They  will  have  a  spirit  body  in  the 
image  of  that  parent  and  have  a  spark  of  the 
eternal  or  divine  that  always  did  exist,  but 
not  in  that  exact  form. 

Unto  such  parentage  will  this  glorious 
privilege  come,  for  it  is  written  in  our  scrip- 
tures that  "the  glory  of  God  is  to  bring  to 
pass  the  immortality  and  eternal  life  of 
man."  So,  it  will  be  the  glory  of  men  and 
women  that  will  make  their  glory  like  unto 
His.  When  the  power  of  endless  increase 
shall  come  to  them,  and  their  offspring, 
growing  and  multiplying  through  ages  that 
shall  come,  they  will  be  in  due  time,  as  we 
have  been,  provided  with  an  earth  like  this, 
wherein  they  too  may  obtain  earthly  bodies 
and  pass  through  all  the  experiences  through 
which  we  have  passed,  and  then  we  shall  hold 
our  relationship  to  them,  the  fullness  and 
completeness  of  which  has  not  been  revealed 
to  us,  but  we  shall  stand  in  our  relationship 
to  them  as  God,  our  Eternal  Father,  does  to 
us,  and  thereby  is  this  the  most  glorious  and 

12 


wonderful  privilege  that  ever  will  come  to 
any  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  God. 

Now,  I  wish  to  return  to  the  76th  section 
and  commence  reading  with  the  59th  vers-e: 

"Wherefore  all  things  are  theirs,  whether 
life  or  death,  or  things  present,  or  things  to 
come,  all  are  theirs  and  they  are  Christ's 
and  Christ  is  God's. 

"And  they  shall  overcome  all  things." 

Here  is  a  significant  statement.  I  have 
said  that  in  addition  to  one's  baptism,  to 
which  I  called  attention,  of  the  water  and 
of  the  spirit,  which  is  essential  for  admis- 
sion to  the  kingdom  of  God,  in  the  language 
of  Peter  and  in  the  words  of  the  fourth  sec- 
tion of  the  Doctrine  &  Covenants,  we  are  to 
add  to  our  faith  virtue,  to  virtue  knowledge, 
to  knowledge,  temperance,  patience,  brother- 
ly kindness,  godliness,  charity,  humility  and 
diligence.  If  these  things  be  not  in  us,  we 
are  blind  and  cannot  see  far,  but  if  they  are 
in  us  they  will  make  us  so  that  we  will  be 
able  to  make  our  calling  and  election  sure. 

A  man  may  receive  the  priesthood  and  all 
its  privileges  and  blessings,  but  until  he 
learns  to  overcome  the  flesh,  his  temper,  his 
tongue,  his  disposition  to  indulge  in  the 
things  God  has  forbidden,  he  cannot  come 
into  the  Celestial  Kingdom  of  God — until  he 
overcomes  either  in  this  life  or  in  the  life 
to  come.  But  this  life  is  the  time  in  which 
men  are  to  repent.  Do  not  let  any  of  us 
imagine  that  we  can  go  down  to  the  grave 


not  having  overcome  the  corruptions  of  the 
flesh  and  then  lose  in  the  grave  all  our  sins 
and  evil  tendencies.  They  will  be  with  us. 
They  will  be  with  the  spirit  when  separated 
from  the  body. 

I  have  said  it  is  my  judgment  that  any 
man  or  woman  can  do  more  to  conform  to 
the  laws  of  God  in  one  year  in  this  life  than 
they  could  in  ten  years  when  they  are  dead. 
The  spirit  only  can  repent  and  change,  and 
then  the  battle  has  to  go  forward  with  the 
flesh  afterwards.  It  is  much  easier  to  over- 
come and  serve  the  Lord  when  both  flesh 
and  spirit  are  combined  as  one.  This  is  the 
time  when  men  are  more  pliable  and  sus- 
ceptible. We  will  find  when  we  are  dead  ev- 
ery desire,  every  feeling  will  be  greatly  in- 
tensified. When  clay  is  pliable  it  is  much 
easier  to  change  than  when  it  gets  hard  and 
sets. 

This  life  is  the  time  to  repent.  That  is 
why  I  presume  it  will  take  a  thousand  years 
after  the  first  resurrection  until  the  last 
group  will  be  prepared  to  come  forth.  It  will 
take  them  a  thousand  years  to  do  what  it 
would  have  taken,  but  three  score  years  and 
ten  to  accomplish  in  this  life.  And,  so,  we 
are  to  labor  and  have  as  little  to  do  when  we 
get  through  with  this  life  as  possible. 

You  remember  the  vision  of  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  dead  as  given  to  the  Church 
through  the  late  President  Joseph  F.  Smith. 
President  Smith  saw  the  spirits  of  the  right- 

14 


eous  dead  after  their  resurrection  and  the 
language  is  the  same  as  one  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph's  revelations — that  they,  the  right- 
eous dead,  looked  upon  the  absence  of  their 
spirits  from  their  bodies  as  a  bondage. 

I  grant  you  that  the  righteous  dead  will 
be  at  peace,  but  I  tell  you  that  when  we  go 
out  of  this  life,  leave  this  body,  we  will  yearn 
to  do  a  thousand  things  that  we  cannot  do 
at  all  without  the  body,  and  how  handicapped 
we  will  be,  and  realize  then  like  a  man  who 
has  suddenly  lost  both  arms  and  his  legs.  We 
will  be  seriously  handicapped,  and  we  will 
long  for  the  body;  we  will  crave  it;  we  will 
pray  for  that  early  reunion  with  our  bodies. 
We  will  know  then  what  advantage  it  was 
to  have  a  body. 

Then,  every  man  and  woman  who  is  put- 
ting off  until  the  next  life  the  task  of  cor- 
recting and  overcoming  the  weakness  of  the 
flesh  are  sentencing  themselves  to  that  man> 
years  of  bondage,  for  no  man  or  woman  will 
come  forth  in  the  resurrection  until  they 
have  completed  their  work,  until  they  have 
overcome,  until  they  have  corrected,  until 
they  have  done  as  much  as  they  can  do. 
That  is  why  Jesus  said  in  the  resurrection 
there  is  neither  marriage  or  giving  in  mar- 
riage, for  all  such  contracts — agreements — 
will  be  provided  for  those  who  are  worthy 
of  it  before  men  and  women  come  forth  in 
the  resurrection  of  the  Lord,  and  those  who 
are  complying  in  this  life  with  these  condi- 
tions are  shortening  their  sentences,  for  ev- 

15 


ery  one  of  us  will  have  &  matter  of  years  in 
that  spirit  state  to  complete  and  finish  their 
salvation.  And  some  may  attain,  by  reason 
of  their  righteousness  in  this  life,  the  right 
to  do  post-graduate  work,  to  be  admitted  into 
the  Celestial  Kingdom,  but  others  will  lose 
absolutely  the  right  to  that  glory,  all  they 
can  do  will  not  avail  after  death  to  bring 
them  into  the  Celestial  Kingdom. 

The  point  I  have  in  mind  is  that  we  are 
sentencing  ourselves  to  long  periods  of  bond- 
age, separating  our  spirits  from  our  bodies, 
or  we  are  shortening  that  period,  according 
to  the  way  in  which  we  overcome  and  master 
ourselves. 

Sixty-first  verse: 

"Wherefore,  let  no  man  glory  in  man,  but 
rather  let  him  glory  in  God,  who  shall  sub- 
due all  enemies  under  his  feet — 

"These  shall  dwell  in  the  presence  of  God 
and  Christ  forever  and  ever.'* 

Oh!  what  a  world  of  meaning!  Do  you 
comprehend  it,  you  who  gain  Celestial  glory, 
the  privilege  of  dwelling  in  the  presence  of 
God  and  his  Christ  forever  and  ever?  What 
did  it  mean  to  have  in  the  world,  in  the  min- 
istry, for  three  brief  years  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ— not  the  Father,  just  the  Son?  It 
was  the  most  wonderful  privilege  the  world 
has  ever  had.  What  would  you  give  tonight 
for  the  privilege  of  standing  in  the  presence 
of  the  Son  for  five  minutes  ?  You  would  give 
all  your  earthly  possessions  for  that  privil- 

16 


ege.  Then  can  you  comprehend  the  full 
meaning  and  significance  of  the  statement 
that  those  who  gain  Celestial  Glory  will  have 
the  privilege  of  dwelling  in  the  presence  of 
the  Father  and  the  Son  forever  and  forever  ? 
That,  in  itself,  will  be  reward  enough  for  the 
struggle  to  obtain  the  prize.  Yea,  it  is  be- 
yond price  and  earthly  possessions.  Even  the 
giving  of  life  itself  would  be  a  trifle  for  the 
privilege  to  dwell  forever  and  forever  in  the 
presence  of  the  Father1  and  the  Son. 

Now  I  want  to  make  an  explanation  that 
you  may  comprehend  and  understand  God's 
plan,  which  allows  us  to  dwell  in  His  pres- 
ence. The  Lord  has  created  by  and  through 
His  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  according  to  the  book 
of  Moses,  worlds  without  number,  and  nu- 
merous are  they  as  the  sands  upon  the  sea- 
shore. In  each  one,  undoubtedly,  dwells  a 
group  of  his  children.  Then  how  can  he  dwell 
in  the  presence  of  all  these  several  groups  at 
one  and  the  same  time  ?  If  you  will  read  the 
88th  section  of  Doctrine  &  Covenants,  to- 
ward the  latter  part  of  that  section  the  Lord 
undertakes  to  explain  it. 

The  Lord  told  Joseph  Smith  how  he  looks 
upon  these,  his  kingdoms,  worlds  without 
number,  and  he  said,  "I  know  them.  I  count 
them."  And  Moses  wondered  and  wanted  to 
know  about  them.  Did  Jesus  Christ  go  to 
them  and  was  he  the  Savior  of  these  other 
worlds?  But  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses, 
"Only  an  account  of  this  earth  give  I  unto 
you." 

17 


There  is  something  else  to  learn  after  we 
leave  this  earth  and  I  rejoice  in  the  antici- 
pation of  further  and  greater  knowledge 
concerning  the  things  I  do  not  now  under- 
stand and  comprehend.  The  Lord  just 
touched  Joseph's  understanding  when  he 
said,  Behold,  these  are  known  unto  me.  They 
are  like  a  man  having  a  field,  and  he  sent 
a  group  of  workers  to  this  part  of  the  field 
and  gave  them  instructions  what  to  do  and 
told  them  he  would  visit  them  in  their  hour 
and  in  their  time.  He  sent  out  the  second 
group  into  another  part  of  the  field,  and  an- 
other group,  and  unto  each  of  them  he  made 
the  promise  that  he  would  visit  them  in  their 
hour  and  in  their  time  and  season  until  they 
all  would  be  made  glad  by  the  joy  of  his 
countenance.  He  would  visit  them  from  the 
first  to  the  last  and  from  the  last  to  the  first 
in  one  eternal  round,  each  in  his  time,  in  his 
hour  and  in  his  season. 

I  presume  that  is  the  reason  that  the 
promise  is  made  that  Christ  will  dwell  with 
men  on  this  earth  for  a  thousand  years  and 
that  will  be  our  day,  our  time  and  then  I  pre- 
sume he  will  do  as  suggested  in  this  88th 
section;  he  will  visit  other  places  and  king- 
doms; but  while  absent  from  this  group  we 
will,  nevertheless,  be  in  His  presence,  in  com- 
munication with  him. 

Every  man  and  woman  who  enters  the 
Celestial  Kingdom  will  find  themselves  living 
on  this  earth,  which  shall  be  a  Celestial 
world,  and  we  will  identify  it  as  the  earth 
upon  which  we  have  lived.  To  each  man  and 

18 


woman  who  enters  that  kingdom  will  find 
the  earth  a  Urim  and  Thummim,  looking  into 
which  one  may  learn  about  all  conditions  and 
kingdoms  that  are  beneath  and  the  kingdom 
in  which  we  live,  so  that  all  depths  are  re- 
vealed to  us. 

The  revelations  referred  to  inform  us  that 
whosoever  enters  the  Celestial  Kingdom  shall 
receive  a  white  stone,  a  Urim  and  Thummim 
of  greatest  purity.  Through  the  gift  and 
power  of  God  will  enable  the  possessor  to 
read  the  universe  and  obtain  knowledge 
from  all  kingdoms,  not  only  the  one  in  which 
we  dwell,  so  that  we  will  comprehend  all 
heights  and  all  depths.  Those  who  gain  Ce- 
lestial Glory,  to  them  only  comes  this  privil- 
ege, and  though  absent  it  is  possible  for  the 
Father  and  the  Son  to  commune  and  converse 
with  all  who  are  entitled  to  enjoy  that  com- 
panionship, the  other  Comforter,  just  as  the 
Holy  Ghost  now  has  the  right  and  power  to 
operate  and  converse  at  once  with  ten  thou- 
sand or  ten  million  souls  who  have  complied 
with  baptism  and  have  been  brought  within 
the  circle  in  tune  that  they  may  receive  the 
communication.  Every  man  and  woman  will 
hear  at  once  and  dwell  in  His  presence  to  be 
constantly  instructed. 

Well,  I  ought  not  to  spend  any  time  trying 
to  persuade  you  that  this  is  possible  when 
you  know  that  in  this  day  the  human  voice 
has  been  magnified  a  thousand  times  by  the 
skill  of  man,  so  that  it  is  said  that  by  the  use 
of  one  of  these  thousand  time  amplifiers  the 
walking  of  a  fly  in  a  room  where  such  an  am- 

19 


plifier  is  properly  in  tune  would  make  a  noise 
as  almost  to  deafen  a  man.  The  human  voice 
may  be  increased  one  hundred  thousand 
times  and  encircle  the  globe.  If  we  can  do 
that,  and  we  do  it  every  day,  what  does  God 
know  about  it  ?  So  much  more  than  we  know 
and  comprehend  that  our  advances  are  just 
a  feeble  opening  of  the  great  eternal  truths 
of  science  and  knowledge  which  God  has. 

I  understand  now  something  about  that 
wonderful  appearance  of  the  Redeemer  to  the 
Nephites.  They  heard  a  voice  and  though  it 
was  not  a  loud  voice  and  came  from  the 
clouds,  yet  it  was  a  keen  and  penetrating 
voice  so  that  it  entered  every  heart  and  made 
their  very  frames  quake.  Now  I  understand 
that  God  knows  how.  Though  absent,  he 
may  speak,  and  all  the  groups  of  his  chil- 
dren who  are  entitled  to  hear  Him,  hear  Him, 
and  in  their  hour  and  in  their  time  and  sea- 
son enjoy  His  personal  presence  and  forever 
and  always  his  companionship,  the  compan- 
ionship of  His  spirit  and  His  personal  minis- 
try through  His  means  of  communication 
with  such  souls. 

I  cannot  begin  this  night  to  tell  you  what 
that  means — to  enjoy  -the  blessings  and  priv- 
ileges of  dwelling  in  His  presence  forever  and 
ever.  I  know  how  the  soul  is  thrilled ;  I  know 
the  feeling  that  comes  by  being  in  His  pres- 
ence for  but  a  moment.  I  would  give  all  that 
I  am,  all  that  I  hope  to  be,  to  have  the  joy  of 
His  presence,  to  dwell  in  His  love  and  His  af- 
fection and  to  be  in  favor  with  the  Master  of 
all  things  forever  and  ever. 

20 


'These  are  they  whom  he  shall  bring  with 
him,  when  he  shall  come  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  to  reign  on  the  earth  over  his  people. 

"These  are  they  who  shall  have  part  in  the 
first  resurrection. 

'  'These  are  they  who  shall  come  forth  in 
the  resurrection  of  the  just." 

"These  are  they  who  are  come  unto  Mount 
Zion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living  God,  the 
heavenly  place,  the  holiest  of  all. 

"These  are  they  who  have  come  to  an  in- 
numerable company  of  angels,  to  the  general 
assembly  and  Church  of  Enoch,  and  of  the 
first  born. 

"These  are  they  whose  names  are  written 
in  heaven,  where  God  and  Christ  are  the 
judge  of  all. 

"These  are  they  who  are  just  men  made 
perfect  through  Jesus  the  mediator  of  the 
new  covenant,  who  wrought  out  this  per- 
fect atonement  through  the  shedding  of  his 
own  blood. 

"These  are  they  whose  bodies  are  Celes- 
tial." 

I  wish  you  to  remember  that  because  I  am 
to  return  to  it  in  a  few  moments,  and  just 
now  I  wish  to  say  that  a  Celestial  body  is 
quite  a  different  thing  than  a  Terrestrial  or 
Telestial  body. 

"These  are  they  whose  bodies  are  Celes- 
tial, whose  glory  is  that  of  the  sun,  even  the 
glory  of  God,  the  highest  of  all,  whose  glory 
the  sun  of  the  firmament  is  written  of  as 
being  typical.'' 


These  are  the  fundamental  points,  the 
great  privileges,  and  the  terms  and  condi- 
tions that  must  be  complied  with. 

Now,  I  wish  to  turn  for  a  few  moments 
in  comparing  this  and  the  other  glories  first 
to  a  brief  consideration  of  the  great  provi- 
sion made  for  the  second  great  group  of  our 
Father's  children,  and  here  is  a  description 
of  it.  Reading  from  the  71st  verse: 

"And  again,  we  saw  the  Terrestrial  world, 
and  beheld  and  lo,  these  are  they  who  are  of 
the  Terrestrial,,  whose  glory  differs  from 
that  of  the  church  of  the  first  born,  who 
have  received  the  fullness  of  the  Father,  even 
a3  that  of  the  moon  differs  from  the  sun  in 
the  firmament 

"Behold,  these  are  they  who  died  without 
law. " 

I  wish  to  say  that  we  do  not  know  the 
terms  nor  the  conditions  that  candidates  for 
Telestial  or  Terrestrial  Glory  may  have  to 
comply  with.  All  that  we  have  been  given  in 
the  principle  of  the  Gospel,  including  bap- 
tism by  water,  the  laying  on  of  hands  for  the 
g-ft  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  are  means  to  prepare 
and  admit  men  and  women  into  the  Celestial 
Kirgdcm.  We  are  not  preparing  candidates 
for  Terrestrial  or  Telestial  Glory.  That  is 
not  the  work  we  are  doing.  I  presume  after 
this  life,  in  the  spirit  world,  among  those 
great  hosts  of  our  Father's  children  who  are 
candidates  for  this  kingdom  I  am  now  talk- 
ing about,  we  will  be  given  clearly  to  under- 

22 


stand  what  the  principles  are  they  must  com- 
ply with.  We  do  know,  however,  that  every 
knee  shall  bow  and  every  tongue  confess 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ.  Absolute  obedience 
will  be  required.  It  may  be  they  will  have 
to  have  baptism.  Yet  I  know  not;  the  Lord 
has  not  revealed  it.  I  think  it  is  well  we  are 
striving  exclusively  for  the  Celestial  King- 
dom, not  for  the  Terrestrial  or  Telestial.  Now 
this  is  the  place  provided  for  those  who 
die  without  law. 

I  wish  now  to  call  your  attention  to  other 
revelations  which  the  Lord  has  given  in  this 
dispensation  relative  to  those  who  have  died 
without  law. 

You  will  recall  how  the  Prophet  Joseph 
was  greatly  concerned  over  his  own  Brother 
Alvin.  Alvin  Smith  was  a  devout  believer  in 
Joseph's  vision,  but  prior  to  the  restoration 
of  the  priesthood  and  the  restoration  of  the 
doctrine  of  baptism  he  died.  Joseph  was 
deeply  concerned  over  his  death  and  the  Lord 
gave  Joseph  Smith  a  revelation,  wherein  he 
said  he  saw  Alvin  in  the  Celestial  Kingdom. 
Alvin  was  not  really  there,  it  was  Alvin's 
right  and  privilege  to  be  there,  but  he  could 
not  go  there  without  baptism.  The  Lord  said 
all  who,  had  they  lived,  would  have  received 
the  Gospel  of  the  Son  had  they  heard  it,  they 
tco  will  be  candidates  for  the  Celestial  Glory. 
Who  are  they?  How  can  they  be  deter- 
mined? 

Some  folks  get  the  notion  that  the  prob- 
lems of  life  will  at  once  clear  up  and  they  will 
know  that  this  is  the  gospel  of  Christ  when 


they  die.  I  have  heard  people  say  they  be- 
lieve when  they  die  they  will  see  Peter  and 
that  he  will  clear  it  all  up.  I  said,  "You 
never  will  see  Peter  until  you  accept  the  Gos- 
pel of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  living  or  dead, 
at  the  hands  of  the  elders  of  the  Church. 
They  will  meet  these  men  to  whom  this  right 
and  authority  has  been  given,  for  this  gen- 
eration shall  receive  it  at  the  hands  of  those 
who  have  been  honored  with  the  priesthood 
of  this  dispensation.  Living  or  dead,  they 
shall  not  hear  it  from  anyone  else. 

So,  men  won't  know  any  more  when  they 
are  dead  than  when  they  are  living,  only  they 
will  have  passed  through  the  change  called 
death.  They  will  not. understand  the  truths 
of  the  Gospel  only  by  th-a  same  process  as 
they  understand  and  comprehend  them  here. 
So  when  they  hear  the  Gospel  preached  they 
will  respond  just  as  our  fathers  and  mothers 
did,  with  a  glad  heart.  They  will  love  it  and 
embrace  it.  It  will  then  be  easy  to  know  who 
they  are.  They  who  have  died  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  they  who  will  receive 
it  with  glad  hearts,  .they  also  will  be  candi- 
dates for  Celestial  Glory.  When  you  die  and 
go  to  the  spirit  world  you  will  labor  for  years, 
trying  to  convert  individuals  who  will  be  tak- 
ing their  own  course.  Some  of  them  will  re- 
pent; some  of  them  will  listen.  Another 
group  will  be  rebellious,  following  their  own 
will  and  notion,  and  that  group  will  get  small- 
er and  smaller  until  every  knee  shall  hum- 
bly bow  and  every  tongue  confess. 

24 


It  may  take  us  thousands  of  years  to  do 
that.  But  those  who  are  of  the  blood  of 
Israel,  who,  had  they  been  living,  would  have 
received  the  Gospel  and  are  not  participators 
in  the  blessings,  will  in  a  similar  manner  re- 
ceive it  in  the  spirit  world. 

Now  I  want  to  go  a  little  further  and  iden- 
tify us  and  our  posterity  and  our  ancestors, 
to  be  able  to  tell  you  why  it  is  that  there  is 
a  great  proportion  of  our  Father's  children 
who  die  without  law  and  why  you  and  I  come 
into  possession  of  the  knowledge  of  the  law. 
The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  said  —  you  will 
find  these  words  in  the  fourth  volume  of 
Church  History,  page  231.  This  was  at  the 
time  of  the  completion  of  the  baptismal  font 
in  the  Nauvoo  Temple.  The  Prophet  said: 

"The  Saints  have  the  privilege  of  being 
baptized  for  those  of  their  own  relatives  who 
are  dead  whom  they  believe  would  have  em- 
braced the  gospel  if  they  had  lived,  if  they 
had  had  the  privilege  of  hearing  it,  and  who 
hav-a  received  the  gospel  in  the  spirit  world 
through  the  instrumentality  of  those  who 
have  been  commissioned  to  preach  to  them 
while  in  prison." 

The  limitation  given  to  Latter-day  Saints 
for  baptism  of  their  dead  was  to  their  imme- 
diate relatives  who  had  died  whom  they  be- 
lieve would  have  received  the  gospel.  That 
is  all.  And  no  others.  Now  since  we  are 
not  prepared  to  pass  judgment  on  our  dead 
ancestors  whom  we  did  not  know,  the  church 
has  gone  further  and  has  permitted  mem- 
bers of  the  church  to  do  the  work  for  all  their 

25 


immediate  ancestors  except  they  are  murder- 
ers. There  can  be  no  work  done  for  those 
who  have  committed  murder  and  shed  blood. 
We  are  to  do  the  work  for  our  dead,  whether 
we  know  they  will  receive  it  or  not..  There 
is  no  doubt  but  what  everyone  would  like  to 
receive  it,  but  some  of  them  may  not  be  wor- 
thy, and  a  good  many  will  receive  it.  I  be- 
lieve in  my  heart  that  more  of  our  dead  an- 
cestors will  receive  and  enjoy  the  privileges 
and  blessings  of  the  gospel  than  their  liv- 
ing children.  That  may  seem  strange  to  you, 
but  I  am  afraid  that  the  proportion  of  the 
living  who  are  entitled  to  these  privileges 
and  blessings  will  be  fewer  than  our  dead 
ancestors  who  are  also  entitled  to  the  same 
blessings. 

Suppose  that  some  of  them  will  not  receive 
the  work  that  you  do  for  them.  Should  that 
hinder  you  ?  No,  it  should  not.  The  Lord  said, 
"It  is  better  to  feed  ten  unworthy  than  to 
turn  one  righteous  away/ '  If  there  were  but 
a  few  of  our  ancestors  worthy  to  have  these 
blessings  would  we  not  do  the  work  for  the 
entire  group  in  order  to  provide  for  the  few  ? 
But  I  tell  you  there  will  be  a  much  larger  pro- 
portion than  this,  and  they  all  would  like  to 
receive  it.  A  great  majority  will  receive  these 
blessings  and  will  be  glad  for  them  and  ac- 
cept them. 

Now,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  I  would  like 
you  to  understand  that  long  before  we  were 
born  into  this  earth  we  were  tested  and  tried 
in  our  pre-existence  and  the  fact  that  today 
ten  thousand  children  were  born,  and  more 

26 


than  that,  in  the  world,  a  certain  proportion 
of  them  went  to  the  Hottentots  of  the  south 
seas;  one  thousand  went  to  the  Chinese 
mothers,  one  thousand  to  Negro  mothers,  one 
thousand  to  beautiful  white  Latter-day  Saint 
mothers.  Why  this  difference?  You  cannot 
tell  me  that  that  entire  group  of  ten  thou- 
sand or  whatever  that  number  might  be  was 
just  designated,  marked,  to  go  there.  That 
they  were  men  and  women  of  equal  oppor- 
tunities. There  are  no  infant  spirits  born. 
They  had  a  being  ages  before  they  came  into 
this  life.  They  appear  in  infant  body  but  they 
were  tested,  proven  souls.  Therefore,  I  say 
to  you  that  long  before  we  came  into  this  life 
all  groups  and  races  of  men  existed  as  they 
exist  today.  Like  attracts  to  like. 

Why  is  it  in  this  Church  we  do  not  grant 
the  priesthood  to  the  negroes?  It  is  alleged 
that  the  Prophet  Joseph  said — and  I  have  no 
reason  to  dispute  it — that  it  is  because  of 
seme  act  committed  by  them  before  they 
came  into  this  life.  It  is  alleged  that  they 
were  neutral,  standing  neither  for  Christ  nor 
the  devil.  But,  I  am  convinced  it  is  because 
of  some  things  they  did  before  they  came 
into  this  life  that  they  have  been  denied  the 
privilege.  The  races  of  to-day  are  very  largely 
reaping  th-e  consequence  of  a  previous  life. 

Why  was  it  the  Lord  gave  Daniel  the  in- 
terpretation of  that  wonderful  dream  of  Neb- 
uchadnezzar, wherein  Daniel  was  able  to  tell 
very  clearly,  long  before  they  were  born, 
when  the  various  peoples  should  rise  and  bear 
rule  upon  the  earth?  And  I  say  to  you  that 

27 


there  were  tested,  tried  and  proven  souls  be- 
fore they  were  born  into  the  world,  and  the 
Lord  sent  with  them  his  choicest  blessings 
and  provided  a  lineage  for  them.  That  lineage 
is  the  House  of  Israel,  the  lineage  of  Abra- 
ham, Isaac  and  Jacob  and  their  posterity. 
Through  this  lineage  were  to  come  the  true 
and  tried  souls  that  had  demonstrated  their 
righteousness  in  the  spirit  world  before  they 
came  here.  We  came  through  that  lineage. 
Our  particular  branch  is  the  House  of  Joseph 
through  his  son  Ephraim.  That  is  the  group 
from  whence  shall  come  the  candidates  in  the 
main  for  the  Celestial  Glory.  That  is  why  we 
are  doing  the  work  for  that  group)  and  not 
for  others. 

Let  us  not  imagine  that  in  this  dispensa- 
tion we  shall  do  the  work  for  the  dead  Chi- 
nese or  Hindus.  Not  at  all.  I  expect  it  will 
take  one  thousand  years  to  complete  in  our 
temples  the  ordinances  looking  to  the  salva- 
tion of  the  House  of  Israel.  It  will  take  all 
Later-day  Saints  and  all  that  we  can  do  to 
take  care  of  our  own  branch — of  our  own 
hcuse.  While  we  do  the  work  for  our  dead 
ancestors,  we  will  reach  a  limit  after  a  while. 
That  limit  will  be  after  we  have  reached  as 
far  as  records  are  kept.  I  have  said  that 
when  any  man  or  woman  goes  into  this  work 
earnestly  the  Lord  will  provide  ways  and 
means  for  them  to  obtain  the  information. 
Our  understanding  will  be  opened  and  sources 
of  knowledge  will  be  made  manifest  never  be- 
fore dreamed  of.  Why?  Because  the  dead 
know  a  great  deal  more  than  we  think. 


Why  is  it  that  sometimes  only  one  of  a  city 
or  household  receives  the  Gospel?  It  was 
made  known  to  me  that  it  is  because  of  the 
righteous  dead  who  had  received  the  Gospel 
in  the  spirit  world  exercising  themselves,  and 
in  answer  to  their  prayers  elders  of  the 
Church  were  sent  to  the  homes  of  their  pos- 
terity that  the  Gospel  might  be  taught  to 
them  and  through  their  righteousness  they 
might  be  privileged  to  do  the  work  for  their 
dead  kindred.  I  want  to  say  to  you  that  it  is 
with  greater  intensity  that  the  hearts  of  the 
fathers  and  mothers  in  the  spirit  world  are 
turned  to  their  children  than  that  our  hearts 
are  turned  to  them. 

And  so  it  is  that  the  Lord  will  open  the 
way  for  those  who  seek  information  and 
knowledge. 

I  recall  an  incident  in  my  own  father's  ex- 
perience. I  recall  how  we  looked  forward  to 
the  completion  of  the  Logan  Temple.  It  was 
about  to  be  dedicated.  My  father  had  labored 
on  that  house  from  its  very  beginning  and 
my  earliest  recollection  was  carrying  his  din- 
ner each  day  as  he  brought  the  rock  down 
from  the  quarry.  How  we  looked  forward  to 
that  great  event!  I  remember  how  in  the 
meantime  father  made  every  effort  to  obtain 
all  the  data  and  information  he  could  con- 
cerning his  relatives.  It  was  the  theme  of  his 
prayer  night  and  morning  that  the  Lord 
would  open  the  way  whereby  he  could  get  in- 
formation concerning  his  dead. 

The  day  before  the  dedication  while  writ- 

29 


ing  recommends  to  the  members  of  his  ward 
who  were  to  be  present  at  the  first  service, 
two  elderly  gentlemen  walked  down  the 
streets  of  Logan,  approached  my  two  young- 
er sisters,  and,  coming  to  the  older  one  of  the 
two  placed  in  her  hands  a  newspaper  and 
said: 

"Take  this  to  your  father.  Give  it  to  no 
one  else.  Go  quickly  with  it.  Don't  lose  it." 

The  child  responded  and  when  she  met  her 
mother,  her  mother  wanted  the  paper.  The 
child  said,  "No,  I  must  give  it  to  father  and 
no  one  else." 

She  was  admitted  into  the  room  and  told 
her  stoiy.  We  looked  in  vain  for  these  trav- 
elers. They  were  not  to  be  seen.  No  one 
else  saw  them.  Then  we  turned  to  the  pa- 
per. The  newspaper  was  printed  in  my  fath- 
er's old  English  home  five  days  before  the 
day  it  was  in  our  hands.  We  were  astonished, 
for  by  no  earthly  means  could  it  have  reached 
us,  so  that  our  curiosity  increased  as  we  ex- 
amined it.  Then  we  discovered  one  page  de- 
voted to  the  writings  of  a  reporter  of  the 
paper,  who  had  gone  on  his  vacation,  and 
among  other  places  had  visited  an  old  ceme- 
tery. The  curious  inscriptions  led  him  to 
write  what  he  found  on  the  tombstones,  in- 
cluding the  verses.  He  also  added  the  names, 
date  of  birth,  death,  etcs.,  filling  nearly  an 
entire  page. 

It  was  the  old  cemetery  where  the  Ballard 
family  had  been  buried  for  generations  and 

30 


very  many  of  my  father's  immediate  rela- 
tives and  other  intimate  friends. 

When  the  matter  was  presented  to  Presi- 
dent Merrill  of  the  Logan  Temple  he  said, 
"You  are  authorized  to  do  the  work  for  those 
because  you  received  it  through  messengers 
of  the  Lord." 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  dead  who 
had  received  the  Gospel  in  the  spirit  world 
had  put  it  into  the  heart  of  that  reporter  to 
write  these  things,  and  thus  the  way  was 
prepared  for  my  father  to  obtain  the  infor- 
mation he  sought,  and  so  with  you  who  are 
earnest  in  this  work,  the  way  shall  be  opened 
and  you  will  be  able  to  gather  data  far  be- 
yond your  expectations,  even  when  you  have 
gone  as  far  as  you  can  go.  I  will  tell  you 
what  will  happen.  When  you  have  gone  as 
far  as  you  can  go  the  names  of  your  right- 
eous dead  who  have  embraced  the  Gospel  in 
the  spirit  world  will  be  given  you  through  the 
instrumentality  of  your  dead  kindred.  But 
only  the  names  of  those  who  have  received 
the  Gospel  will  be  revealed. 

Now,  I  wish  to  say  to  you  that  those  who 
died  without  law,  meaning  the  pagan  nations, 
for  lack  of  faithfulness,  for  lack  of  devotion, 
in  the  former1  life,  are  obtaining  all  that  they 
are  entitled  to.  I  don't  mean  to  say  that  all 
of  them  will  be  barred  from  entrance  into  the 
highest  glory.  Any  one  of  them  who  repents 
and  complies  with  the  conditions  might  also 
obtain  Celestial  Glory,  but  the  great  bulk 
of  them  shall  only  have  Terrestrial. 

31 


Continuing,  and  this  is  full  of  meaning: 
"Behold,  these  are  they  who  died  without 
law, 

"And  also  they  who  are  the  spirits  of  men 
kept  in  prison,  whom  the  Son  visited,  and 
preached  the  gospel  unto  them,  that  they 
might  be  judged  according  to  men  in  the 
flesh, 

"Who  received  not  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
in  the  flesh,  but  afterwards  received  it.' ' 

This  revelation  clearly  informs  us  that  any 
man  or  woman,  not  only  those  in  the  days 
of  Noah,  who  heard  the  Gospel  and  rejected 
it,  but  in  this  day  any  man  or  woman  who 
has  had  a  good  chance  to  have  heard  the 
Gospel,  to  receive  it  and  embrace  it  and  en- 
joy its  blessings  and  privileges,  who  lived 
during  their  life  in  absolute  indifference  to 
these  things,  ignoring  it,  need  not  to  hope 
or  anticipate  that  when  they  are  dead  the 
work  can  be  done  for  them  and  they  gain  Ce- 
lestial Glory.  Don't  you  Latter-day  Saints 
get  the  notion  that  a  man  or  woman  can  live 
in  defiance  or  total  indifference,  having  had 
a  good  chance — not  a  casual  chance  or  op- 
portunity— and  when  they  die  you  can  go  and 
do  the  work  for  that  individual  and  have 
them  receive  every  blessing  that  the  faithful 
ones  are  entitled  to.  If  that  becomes  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Church  we  will  be  worse  than  the 
Catholics,  who  believe  that  you  can  pray  a 
man  out  of  purgatory.  But  they  charge  for 
it  and  we  don't,  so  we  would  be  more  foolish 
than  they. 

32 


More  than  once  I  have  had  a  mother  come 
to  me  and  ask  if  it  would  not  be  possible  to 
have  her  daughter  sealed  to  her  dead  hus- 
band. She  had  lived  with  him,  she  had  prayed 
with  him  and  plead  with  him,  but  he  was 
totally  indifferent,  and  now  since  he  is  dead 
couldn't  the  work  be  done  for  him  and  the 
daughter  sealed  to  him  for  time  and  for  eter- 
nity? If  he  repents  he  will  come  up  in  the 
Terrestrial  Glory — and  she  does  not  want  to 
be  there.  Then  why  be  sealed  to  him? 

Brothers  and  sisters,  I  say  this  to  stimu- 
late you  to  try  and  make  your  lives  conform 
to  the  commandments  of  the  Master,  that 
you  may  work  while  the  day  lasts,  for  the 
night  cometh  when  it  will  not  profit  a  man 
to  work.  That  applies  to  those  who  had  a 
chance  to  receive  the  Gospel  but  rejected  it. 
That  was  their  day,  and  there  comes  a  night 
when  all  the  work  they  may  do  will  be  of  no 
avail,  as  they  cannot  enter  the  Celestial 
Kingdom.  I  want  to  say  this:  It  applies 
also  to  men  and  women  who  neglect  going 
to  the  House  of  God,  who  think,  "Oh,  well, 
if  I  don't  do  the  work  wife  will  fix  it  up."  I 
tell  you  they  are  treading  on  dangerous 
ground.  They  may  wake  up  and  find  that 
their  day  and  opportunity  has  gone.  They 
had  the  chance.  They  died  without  accept- 
ing it.  They  neglected  it  and  may  lose  it. 

I  am  not  judging  their  case;  the  Lord  will 
judge  every  case  on  its  merits.  It  is  a  gen- 
eral rule  we  ought  to  understand. 

"These  are  they  who  are  honorable  men  of 
33 


the  earth,  who  were  blinded  by  the  craftiness 
of  men. 

"These  are  they  who  receive  of  His  glory, 
but  not  of  his  fullness. 

'These  are  they  who  receive  of  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Son,  but  not  of  the  fullness  of 
the  Father; 

"Wherefore,  they  are  bodies  Terrestrial, 
and  not  bodies  Celestial,  and  differ  in  glory 
as  the  moon  differs  from  the  sun. 

"These  are  they  who  are  not  valiant  in  the 
testimony  of  Jesus;  wherefore  they  obtain 
not  the  crown  over  the  kingdom  of  our  God." 

These  are  Latter-day  Saints,  many  of 
them,  who  are  not  valiant  in  the  testimony 
of  Jesus,  though  they  have  entered  into  these 
covenants  have  not  kept  them.  They  have 
broken  their  pledges  and  may  come  forth  in 
the  resurrection  and  find  themselves  wholly 
unworthy  to  be  candidates  for  the  Celestial 
Glory.  They  will  come  up  in  the  Terrestrial 
World.  It  is  for  us  to  make  our  calling  and 
election  sure.  We  can  do  it  in  this  life. 

Now  let  me  pass  to  the  third  and  last  of 
these  groups,  the  Telestial. 

"And  again,  we  saw  the  glory  of  the  Te- 
lestial, which  glory  is  that  of  the  lesser,  even 
as  the  glory  of  the  stars  differs  from  that  of 
the  glory  of  the  moon  in  the  firmament. 

"These  are  they  who  received  not  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ,  neither  the  testimony  of  Jesus. 

"These  are  they  who  deny  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"These  are  they  who  are  thrust  down  to 
hell. 

34 


"These  are  they  who  shall  not  be  redeemed 
from  the  devil,  until  the  last  resurrection,  un- 
til the  Lord,  even  Christ  the  Lamb,  shall  have 
finished  His  work. 

"These  are  they  who  receive  not  of  His 
fullness  in  the  eternal  world,  but  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  through  the  ministration  of  the  Ter- 
restrial. 

"And  the  Terrestrial  through  the  minis- 
tration of  the  Celestial ; 

"And  also  the  Telestial  receive  it  of  the 
administering  of  angels  who  are  appointed 
to  minister  for  them,  or  who  are  appointed 
to  be  ministering  spirits  for  them,  for  they 
shall  be  heirs  of  salvation. 

"And  thus  we  saw  in  the  heavenly  vision, 
the  glory  of  the  Telestial,  which  surpasses  all 
understanding. 

"And  no  man  knows  it  except  him  to  whom 
God  has  revealed  it. 

"And  thus  we  saw  the  glory  of  the  Terres- 
trial, which  excels  in  all  things  the  glory  of 
the  Telestial,  even  in  glory,  and  in  power,  and 
might,  and  in  dominion. 

"And  thus  we  saw  the  glory  of  the  Celes- 
tial, which  excels  in  all  things — where  God, 
even  the  Father,  reigns  upon  His  throne  for- 
ever and  ever ; 

"Before  whose  throne  all  things  bow  in 
humble  reverence  and  give  Him  glory  forever 
and  ever. 

"They  who  dwell  in  His  presence  are  the 
church  of  the  first  born,  and  they  see  as  they 

35 


are  seen,  and  know  as  they  are  known,  hav- 
ing received  of  His  fullness  and  of  His  grace ; 

"And  He  makes  them  equal  in  power,  and 
in  might,  and  in  dominion. 

"And  the  glory  of  the  Celestial  is  one,  even 
as  the  glory  of  the  sun  is  one. 

"And  the  glory  of  the  Terrestrial  is  one, 
even  as  the  glory  of  the  moon  is  one. 

"And  the  glory  of  the  Telestial  is  one,  even 
as  the  glory  of  the  stars  is  one,  for  as  one 
star  differs  from  another  star  in  glory,  even 
so  differs  one  from  another  in  glory  in  the 
Telestial  world; 

"For  these  are  they  who  are  of  Paul,  and 
of  Appolos,  and  of  Cephas. 

"These  are  they  who  say  they  are  some 
of  one  and  some  of  another — some  of  Christ 
and  some  of  John,  and  some  of  Moses,  and 
some  of  Elias,  and  some  of  Esiais,  and  some 
of  Isaiah,  and  some  of  Enoch; 

"But  received  not  the  gospel,  neither  the 
testimony  of  Jesus,  neither  the  prophets, 
neither  the  everlasting  covenant. 

"Last  of  all,  these  all  are  they  who  will  not 
be  gathered  with  the  saints,  to  be  caught  up 
unto  the  church  of  the  first  born,  and  re- 
ceived into  the  cloud. 

"These  are  they  who  are  liars,  and  sorcer- 
ers, and  adulterers,  and  whoremongers,  and 
whosoever  loves  and  makes  a. lie. 

"These  are  they  who  suffer  the  wrath  of 
God  on  the  earth. 


"These  are  they  who  suffer  the  vengeance 
of  eternal  fire. 

"These  are  they  who  are  cast  down  to  hell 
and  suffer  the  wrath  of  Almighty  God,  until 
the  fullness  of  times  when  Christ  shall  have 
subdued  all  enemies  under  His  feet,  and  shall 
have  perfected  His  work, 

"When  He  shall  deliver  up  the  kingdom, 
and  present  it  unto  the  Father  spotless,  say- 
ing— I  have  overcome  and  have  trodden  the 
wine-press  alone,  even  the  wine-press  of  the 
fierceness  of  the  wrath  of  Almighty  God. 

"Then  shall  he  be  crowned  with  the  crown 
of  his  glory,  to  sit  on  the  throne  of  his  power 
to  reign  forever  and  ever. 

"But  behold,  and  lo,  we  saw  the  glory  and 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Telestial  world,  that 
they  were  as  innumerable  as  the  stars  in  the 
firmament  of  heaven,  or  as  the  sand  upon 
the  sea  shore, 

"And  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord  saying — 
these  all  shall  bow  the  knee,  and  every  tongue 
shall  confess  to  him  who  sits  upon  the  throne 
forever  and  ever ; 

"For  they  shall  be  judged  according  to 
their  works,  and  every  man  shall  receive  ac- 
cording to  his  own  works,  his  own  dominion, 
in  the  mansions  which  are  prepared, 

"And  they  shall  be  servants  of  the  Most 
High,  but  where  God  and  Christ  dwell  they 
cannot  come,  worlds  without  end." 

Now  I  wish  to  answer  one  or  two  queries 
that  undoubtedly  have  arisen  in  your  minds, 
and  in  doing  so  I  wish  to  read  some  more 

37 


scripture.  The  question  is  often  asked,  "Is  it 
possible  for  one  who  attains  Telestial  Glory 
in  time  in  the  eternal  world  to  live  so  well 
that  he  may  graduate  from  the  Telestial  and 
pass  into  the  Terrestrial,  and  then  after  a 
season  that  he  may  progress  from  that  ard 
be  ultimately  worthy  of  the  Celestial  Glory  ?  '* 
That  is  the  queiy  that  has  been  asked,  I 
have  just  read  the  answer,  so  far  as  the  Te- 
lestial group  is  concerned.  "Where  God  and 
Christ  dwell  they  cannot  come,  worlds  with- 
out end.  I  take  it  upon  the  same  basis,  the 
same  argument  likewise  applies  to  the  Ter- 
restrial World.  Those  whose  lives  have  enti- 
tled them  to  Terrestrial  Glory  can  never  gain 
Celestial  Glory.  One  who  gains  possession  of 
the  lowest  degree  of  the  Telestial  Glory  may 
ultimately  arise  to  the  highest  degree  of  that 
glory,  but  no  provision  has  been  made  for 
promotion  from  one  glory  to  another.  Let  us 
be  reasonable  about  it. 

I  wish  to  say  in  illustrating  the  subject 
that  if  three  men  were  starting  out  on  an 
endless  race,  one  having  an  advantage  of 
one  mile,  the  other  of  two  miles,  and  each 
one  could  run  as  fast  as  the  other,  when 
would  the  last  ever  catch  up  to  the  first  ?  If 
you  can  tell  me  that,  I  can  tell  you  when  can- 
didates for  the  Telestial  Glory  will  gat  into 
the  Celestial  Glory.  Each  will  grow,  but  their 
development  will  be  prescribed  by  their  en- 
vironment, and  there  is  a  reason  for  it.  When 
the  three  men  start  if  each  can  run  as  fast 
as  the  other  the  last  one  never  could  catch 
the  first  one. 

38 


Applying  this  illustration  to  those  who  are 
entitled  to  the  different  degrees  of  glory :  He 
who  enters  the  Celestial  Glory  has  the  ad- 
vantage over  all  others.  He  dwells  in  the 
presence  of  the  Father  and  the  Son.  His 
teachers  are  the  highest.  The  others  will 
receive  all  they  learn  from  the  Celestial  to 
the  Terrestrial,  from  the  Terrestrial  to  the 
Telestial.  They  get  it  second  hand  and  third 
hand,  and  how  can  they  ever  hope  to  grow  as 
fast  as  those  who  drink  from  the  fountain 
head?  Again,  those  who  come  forth  in  the 
Celestial  Glory  with  Celestial  bodies  have  a 
body  that  is  more  refined.  It  is  different. 
The  very  fibre  and  texture  of  the  Celestial 
body  is  more  pure  and  holy  than  a  Telestial 
or  Terrestrial  body,  and  a  Celestial  body 
alone  can  endure  Celestial  Glory.  T  am  im- 
pressed with  this  because  I  recall  when  a 
child  at  school  I  learned  that  if  an  icycle  a 
mile  square  were  dropped  into  the  sun  it 
would  melt  in  an  instant,  and  when  I  learned 
how  intense  the  heat  of  that  orb  and 
that  our  sun  is  a  Celestial  world,  I 
did  not  know  whether  I  wanted  to  live  in  a 
Celestial  world  or  not  if  it  was  that  hot.  But 
when  I  come  to  understand,  if  I  have  a  body 
suitable  to  dwell  in  eternal  burnings  then  I 
think  I  would  like  it.  Fishes  can  live  in  the 
water  and  have  bodies  suited  to  that  element 
but  entirely  unsuitable  to  a  life  outside  of  the 
water.  When  we  have  a  Celestial  body  it  will 
be  suited  to  the  Celestial  conditions  and  a  Te- 
lestial body  could  not  endure  Celestial  Glory. 
It  would  be  torment  and  affliction  to  them. 


I  have  not  read  in  the  scripture  where  there 
will  be  another  resurrection  where  we  can  ob- 
tain a  Celestial  body  for  a  Terrestrial  body. 
What  we  receive  in  the  resurrection  will  be 
ours  forever  and  forever. 

Let  me  read  to  you  from  the  88th  section, 
commencing  with  the  17th  verse: 

"And  the  redemption  of  the  soul  is  through 
him  who  quick eneth  all  things,  in  whose  bos- 
om it  is  decreed  that  the  poor  and  the  meek 
of  the  earth  shall  inherit  it. 

"Therefore  it  must  needs  be  sanctified 
from  all  unrighteousness,  that  it  may  be  pre- 
pared for  the  Celestial  Glory. '' 

This  earth,  every  part  of  it,  will  be  Celes- 
tial; not  one-third  Telestial  and  one-third 
Terrestrial.  It  will  be  Celestial — and  only 
Celestial  beings  shall  dwell  upon  it.  I  always 
thought  the  Lord  would  require  a  much 
larger  world  than  ours  for  the  Telestial  bod- 
ies to  dwell  on  when  I  consider  the  millions 
of  dead  who  will  inherit  the  Telestial  Glory. 
They  may  need  some  planet  bigger  than  this 
earth. 

Let  me  read  again: 

"Wherefore  it  shall  be  sanctified ;  yea,  not- 
withstanding it  shall  die,  it  shall  be  quick- 
ened, and  the  righteous  shall  inherit  it: 

"For  notwithstanding  they  die,  they  also 
rise  again  a  spiritual  body: 

"They  who  are  of  a  Celestial  spirit  shall  re- 
ceive the  same  body  which  was  a  natural 
body;  even  ye  shall  receive  your  bodies,  and 

40 


your  glory  shall  be  that  glory  by  which  your 
bodies  are  quickened. 

"Ye  who  are  quickened  by  a  portion  of  the 
Celestial  glory  shall  then  receive  of  the  same* 
even  a  fullness; 

"And  they  who  are  quickened  by  a  portion 
of  the  Terrestrial  glory,  shall  then  receive  of 
the  same,  even  a  fullness; 

"And  also  they  who  are  quickened  by  a 
portion  of  the  Telestial  glory  shall  then  re- 
ceive of  the  same,  even  a  fullness." 

Therefore,  I  say,  my  brothers  and  sisters, 
the  Lord  has  distinctly  settled  the  question 
of  our  status,  as  established  in  our  resur- 
rection from  the  dead,  If  we  have  earned  a 
Celestial  body,  we  may  have  Celestial  glory. 
Yet  many  of  the  Saints  will  wake  up  and  find 
they  sold  their  birthright  for  a  mess  of  pot- 
tage. If  I  should  come  forth  and  find  myself 
in  the  Telestial  world,  or  in  the  Terrestrial 
world,  and  look  up  to  this  earth,  when  it  shall 
attain  its  place  as  a  Celestial  orb,  shining 
like  a  sun,  when  this  earth  will  no  longer 
need  the  sun  to  shine  upon  it  by  day  nor  the 
moon  by  night,  when  it  shall  become  the  sun 
of  a  reflector  of  light,  when  it  shall  become 
the  sun  of  another  group  of  planets,  similar 
to  our  solar  system,  if  I  should  be  so  unfor- 
tunate as  to  lose  my  chance  of  obtaining  an 
inheritance  in  that  place,  and  be  compelled  to 
dwell  upon  a  Telestial  orb,  I  surely  will  feel 
the  full  force  of  the  poet's  statement,  "Of  all 
the  sad  words  of  tongue  and  pen,  the  saddest 

41 


of  them  all,  it  might  have  been."  I  might 
have  been  there.  I  was  born  there.  It  was 
my  right  and  privilege  to  be  there,  but  I  lost 
it  through  my  own  blindness,  through  my 
own  wickedness ;  I  have  lost  it  forever.  While 
I  might  have  joy  here,  and  experience  and 
growth  here,  yet  I  have  lost  eternal  com- 
panionship with  my  Heavenly  Father. 

Let  me  not  only  appeal  to  you  to  be  greatly 
interested  in  working  out  the  salvation  of 
your  dead,  but  be  also  intensely  interested,  be 
deeply  concerned  in  the  salvation  of  the  liv- 
ing. What  mortification,  what  humiliation 
would  it  be  for  me  to  stand  before  my  re- 
deemed dead,  for  whom  I  have  labored  in  the 
temples,  and  have  them  say  to  me,  "What  of 
your  sons  or  your  daughters,  your  grandsons 
or  granddaughters,  those  born  under  the 
covenants,  born  in  the  most  glorious  dispen- 
sation of  the  fullness  of  times,  yet  were  so 
foolish  as  to  lose  their  right  to  the  enjoyment 
of  Celestial  Glory?"  Hew  great  would  be 
my  mortification  and  humiliation!  And  yet, 
there  are  great  numbers  of  our  children  and 
our  acquaintances,  with  whom  we  are  now 
associated,  who  are  in  danger  of  losing  their 
eternal  salvation  in  the  Celestial  Kingdom 
of  our  God.  While  there  is  life,  1st  us  earn- 
estly labor  with  all  our  might,  mind  and 
strength,  that  we  may  bring  them  to  Christ 
in  full  possession  of  all  these  blessings.  And 
we  can  do  it.  Even  if  we  labor  all  our  lives, 
we  shall  have  great  joy  if  we  save  but  one, 
for  we  will  be  shedding  an  influence  for  good 
over  countless  thousands  who  shall  be  their 

42 


posterity.  But  If  we  have  not  done  our  full 
duty,  we  shall  sorrow  intensely  because  of 
our  neglect,  and  we  shall  stand  accused  by 
them  for  having  failed  in  the  performance  of 
our  duty.  On  the  other  hand,  if  we  have  la- 
bored with  all  our  might,  mind  and  strength, 
we  shall  stand  with  a  clear  conscience,  blame- 
less. Our  status  and  condition  will  be  like 
our  Heavenly  Father's.  He  sent  His  only  be- 
gotten Son  to  save  and  redeem  mankind,  but 
unless  we  accept  the  atonement  and  act  in 
conformity  to  the  laws  and  requirements  laid 
down  for  us,  even  God  cannot  save  us. 

Now,  brethren  and  sisters,  let  us  not  be 
discouraged  in  our  temple  work.  Let  us  re- 
new our  diligence  and  determination  to  do 
this  work,  and  what  we  do  not  understand 
concerning  our  sealings,  it  will  be  later  re- 
vealed to  us. 

You  mothers  worry  about  your  little  chil- 
dren. We  now  have  limited  the  sealing  of 
husband  and  wife  to  thirteen  years  of  age  for 
girls  and  fifteen  for  boys.  *  *  *  I  know  be- 
cause I  lost  a  son  six  years  of  age  and  I  saw 
him  a  man  in  the  spirit  world  after  his  death, 
and  I  saw  how  he  had  exercised  his  own  free- 
dom of  choice  and  would  obtain  of  his  own 
will  and  volition  a  companionship,  and  in  due 
time  to  him  and  all  those  who  are  worthy  of 
it,  they  shall  participate  in  all  of  the  bless- 
ings and  sealing  privileges  of  the  house  of 
the  Lord.  Do  not  worry  over  it.  They  are 
safe ;  they  are  all  right. 

43 


Now,  then,  what  of  your  daughters  who 
have  died  and  have  not  been  sealed  to  some 
man?  Unless  it  is  made  known  to  you,  let 
their  case  rest.  They  will  make  known  to 
you  the  agreements  and  contracts  they  have 
mutually  entered  into.  The  sealing  power 
shall  be  forever  and  ever  with  this  church, 
and  provisions  will  be  made  for  them.  We 
cannot  run  faster  than  the  Lord  has  provided 
the  way.  Their  blessings  and  privileges  will 
come  to  them  in  due  time.  In  the  meantime, 
they  are  safe. 

Let  us  be  earnest  in  this  work.  It  will  cast 
an  influence  over  your  whole  families.  It 
will  strengthen  your  faith.  It  will  add  testi- 
mony to  your  faith.  Surely  there  is  peace 
and  joy  in  it.  May  you  find  it,  and  may  every 
one  under  the  sound  of  my  voice  this  evening, 
go  hence  with  a  firm  resolve,  such  as  we  have 
never  had  before,  that  we  will  make  our  call- 
ing and  election  sure,  that  at  the  last  day  our 
records  may  be  clear,  that  there  may  be  no 
clouds  upon  our  titles,  that  we  may  receive 
our  inheritance  in  the  Celestial  Glory  of  our 
God.  If  that  shall  be  our  reward,  our  joy  will 
be  full,  beyond  all  my  power  to  tell  you.  May 
the  Lord  help  us  to  have  a  clear  conscience 
and  to  do  every  day  that  which  we  ought  to 
do.  I  am  more  concerned  for  the  living  than 
for  the  dead,  when  I  realize  that  when  the 
bridegroom  cometh,  five,  or  one-half,  of  the 
virgins  shall  be  asleep,  without  oil  in  their 
lamps.  That  will  not  be  the  world;  that  will 
be  the  Latter-day  Saints.  Will  you  be  asleep, 

44 


or  will  there  be  oil  in  your  lamps,  my  breth- 
ren and  sisters?  Let  us  stand  in  our  places 
and  not  flatter  ourselves  by  thinking,  "I  will 
take  care  of  John  and  Mary  when  they  are 
dead."  Let  us  not  procrastinate,  but  labor 
unceasingly  for  the  salvation  of  our  kindred, 
and  if  we  succeed,  oh,  my  brethren  and  sis- 
ters, if  we  win  that  prize  we  shall  be  com- 
pensated beyond  all  expectations.  We  shall 
receive  more  than  we  have  ever  dreamed  of 
joy  and  happiness  and  eternal  satisfaction, 
but  if  we  miss  it,  if  we  lose  it,  we,  whose 
right  it  is  to  obtain  it,  I  cannot  tell  you  the 
sting  of  conscience  and  remorse,  the  hell  of 
torment  we  shall  endure  endlessly,  if  we  miss 
it,  through  our  own  ignorance  and  foolish- 
ness. May  God  save  us  from  that  affliction 
that  will  be  ours  who  are  heirs  to  the  bless- 
ings and  privileges  we  have  spoken  of,  if  we 
miss  it  and  lose  our  birthright. 

The  Lord  sanctify  these  humble  remarks 
and  my  earnest  testimony  and  desire  for  your 
blessings  and  welfare,  for  the  salvation  of 
the  living  and  the  dead,  I  pray  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


45 


NORTH  WEBER  STAKE 
GENEALOGICAL  COMMITTEE 

PERSONNEL 

CHARLES  KINGSTON,  Stake  Representative 
LEVI  J.  TAYLOR 
JOHN  FELT 

JAS.  L.  ROBSOX 
LEANDER  HARRIS 
JULIA  PARRY 

MARY   P.    KINGSTON 
MRS.  CUNNINGHAM 


WEBER  STAKE 
GENEALOGICAL  COMMITTEE 

PERSONNEL 

D.  R.  ROBERTS,  Stake  Representative 
JOHN  T.  BURNETT 
JESSE  A.  CHILDS 
JESSE  N.  STEPHENS 
JOSEPH  PATTERSON 
GEORGE  C.  HOBSON 
HERBERT  BURRELL 

MARGARET  P.  BINGHAM 
MAUDE  JONES 
ETHEL  SKELTON 


OGDEN  STAKE 
GENEALOGICAL  COMMITTEE 

PERSONNEL 

THOMAS  CLARK,  Stake  Representative 
GEO.  A.  SEAMON 
ELLEN  B.  COWLES 
HARRY  M.  WELLS 
ELMER  J.  LARSON 
HENRY  B.  THOMPSON 

ELIZABETH  Y.  THOMPSON 
LOUISE  NELSON 

GEORGE   A.    FULLER 


THE    SLOGAN 

OF    THE 

FOUR    OGDEN 
CITY    STAKES 

IS: 

"A 
TEMPLE 

FOR 
OGDEN 

AND 
SOON 


mount  Ogden  Stake  Presidency 

ROBERT  I.  BURTON 

JOSEPH  RIRIE 

JOSEPH  C.  MCFARLANE 


High  Council: 

M.   CHAS.  WOODS 
ALFRED  GLADWELL 

MARTIN  DALEBOUT 

HYRUM  A.   SHUPE 

WM.   H.   REEDER,  JR. 

JOS.  E.  EVANS 

WM.   S.    PAINE 

A.  LEON  WINDSOR 

WILFORD  O.  RIDGES 

JAMES   W.   URE 

CHRISTOPHER   J.  BROWN 

J.   P.  CORRY 

EVERT  NEUTEBOOM 

WM.   BARNES 

EGBERT  STRATFORD 

WM.  Z.  TERRY,  STAKE  CLERK 


ITlount  Ogden  Stake 

— SLOQAN- 
A  Temple  IDorker 

in 

Euerij  Rome 

and  a 

Temple 

for 

Ogden 

It  J 

TOtfai =»6^J^ 


NEUTEBOOM  PRINTING  CO.,  OGDEN,  UTAH 


